3rd March 2010
A south coast resort is preparing to stage a unique sing-along this spring with Eastbourne Shout! set to fill the seafront’s Western Lawns.
A culmination to the third annual Eastbourne Festival returning in April, Eastbourne Shout! is hoping to attract residents as well as visitors from across the country to join together in this mass sing-along event.
With three songs chosen for the sing-along including ‘I do like to be Beside the Seaside’ celebrating Eastbourne’s beautiful coastal location, Shout! offers the chance for avid singers as well as those who ‘only sing in the shower’ to be part of something big with plans to add a video of the event to YouTube and broadcast Eastbourne to people around the world.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris said “The Eastbourne Festival is really shaping up to be a packed three-week showcase of the arts, culture and entertainment on offer in our fantastic town. Eastbourne Shout! is a brilliant new event as part of the festival this year that we’re hoping will really encourage the whole community to come together and join in. With drop-in sessions being held around Eastbourne to learn the words before the big day on 23 April, there is no excuse for you and your friends and family not to go along and play a starring role in this fabulous production.”
Festival organisers are calling for local workplaces and clubs to put together their own team to enter the Eastbourne Shout! and hold their own practice sessions. From schools and community centres to book clubs and hotels, the Eastbourne Shout welcomes singers of all ages and abilities.
With Shout! also including a rendition of international song ‘Babethandaza’ from South Africa and a national favourite ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’, there’s plenty of time to learn the lyrics, whether joining in with the whole song or just for the chorus. Visit http://www.ratton.e-sussex.sch.uk/events/?eventId=195&page=3 to find the lyrics.
Director of the Eastbourne Festival, Julian Sutherland-Beatson said “This really promises to be a spectacular event and something that I hope will capture the imagination of people all over Eastbourne. From young children to those visiting Eastbourne looking for a unique new experience, come along and join the Eastbourne Shout!”
To star in this amazing community production, or just to join the chorus, please contact Arts Development Officer, Miz Wells, m.wells@ratton.e-sussex.sch.uk or 01323 514322, or visit the Eastbourne Festival website for more information www.eastbournefestival.co.uk .
